Just A Hiccup
“My Frog, that couldn’t have gone any worse!!”
Lady Olivia groaned, face palming as Marcy hugged herself and shrank into the carriage seat, shivering every time the carriage wheels hit a bump in the road and made the carriage jump, her bruised little body aching with every sudden movement.
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Earlier that day, they’d gone to a rather important event-a charity ball hosted by a prominent Newtopian socialite. Andrias had insisted That Lady Olivia take Marcy, saying that it’d be good for her. He’d believed that it would help Marcy get better acquainted with the higher ups of Newtopian society and help get her assimilated with their ways so that she could gain more acceptance from the Newtopians.
Both Marcy and Lady Olivia had completely objected to the idea-but King Andrias had put his foot down on the matter, leaving the reluctant royal advisor and nine year old heir to the throne with no choice than to put on their best clothes and go to the event.
Things had gone okay . . . at first.
After arriving at the socialite’s manor house and being escorted inside by some servants, Lady Olivia and Marcy’s presence had been announced to everyone, the guests all bowing before them - something that had made Marcy feel uncomfortable.
After being announced and going through all the other usual formalities, Lady Olivia had made sure that Marcy was introduced to everyone there- every noble, socialite, and other people of significance that had attended the event. Eventually, Marcy got to meet with the newt that was hosting the event , and they’d struck up a conversation about something that had to do with Newtopian history, Marcy immediately going into detail about all she knew and explaining her own thoughts and opinions on certain topics as her host listened, nodding or commenting every so often. Even when she got excited about a particular topic and started flapping her hands like she usually did whenever she got really excited about something, the newt socialite didn’t even react.
Things actually seemed like they might go okay.
Even Lady Olivia had relaxed a little bit after she saw Marcy talking to another socialite about a statue that was nearby.
Things had been okay.....until Marcy had gone to go refill her drink, only to trip over someone’s tail and smash her glass on another guest’s face.
The poor newt immediately began screaming in pain, shards of thin glass in his snout and up his nose. Marcy had gotten up, apologizing profusely, panicking as everyone around them turned and looked at the glass-shard covered newt, whose nose had begun bleeding quite a lot, gasps and screams escaping the mouths of the shocked and horrified guests.
Marcy was barely able to breathe, panic setting in and clouding her mind as she’d scrambled to go find help, only to bump into a frog waiter who’d been holding a tray of drinks-which promptly fell off the tray and spilled onto Lady Olivia and the young lady newt she’d been talking to, covering them both in sticky red juice.
The disgruntled waiter had also bumped into another, somewhat drunk newt, who proceeded to punch the poor bloke in the face.The enraged waiter then pounced on the newt, starting a drunken,violent brawl that other newts tried to stop-then joined in with after they’d been slapped or punched by one of the fighters.
Marcy, having a full on panic attack, started frantically running around, trying to escape the mess she’d unintentionally made, struggling to breathe and not black out from stress. She’d raced towards what she’d thought was an exit door, only to end up falling down a flight of stairs, groaning as she reached the bottom, her head spinning.
A well - meaning elderly newt had gone over to go help her up, but as she’d gotten up and leaned on him for support, there was a loud “CRACK!” and before Marcy knew it, she’d fallen back on the ground, the poor old newt underneath her, yelling that his back had been thrown out.
Marcy had scrambled back up, yelling a string of rushed apologies before bumping into a candle, causing it to fall and light the nearby food covered table on fire.
Screaming,scrambling and knocking more things down ensued shortly afterwards.
Marcy, who at that point was extremely panicked and way overstimulated and upset , had resorted to curling up on the floor,shaking, before Lady Olivia had grabbed her and dragged her out of the mansion, shoving her into the carriage before getting in and getting them the hell out of dodge.
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Lady Olivia looked down at her stained dress, then sighed glancing over at the human child sitting next to her.
”Well, at least nobody died.”
Marcy looked down, gripping her skirt, unsure whether or not she could take comfort in the royal advisor’s words.
”I’m so sorry.......” She whispered as they finally arrived home.
King Andrias was waiting,smiling brightly, although his smile faltered as soon as he saw the state of the two.
”I see......” He sighed, eyeing them both.
”Lady Olivia, you may go get yourself washed.......And can someone fetch the royal physician for Marcy?”
He looked concernedly at the large, dark bruises that covered her arms and face, wondering what in the world the child had just been through to cause such injuries.
”I-I’m fine...” Marcy muttered as she speed - walked past him and went up to her room.She slammed the door and crawled into bed, her body aching and her eyes watering.She hugged her caterpillar plushie to her chest and buried her face in her pillow, sobbing so hard that her lungs hurt.
She could never do anything right.
Everyone hated her
Andrias was probably sick of her at this point and regretted ever taking her in.
Her eyes, muscles and stomach all hurt.
She heard the door open, and immediately dove under her covers. The last thing she wanted right now was company.
“G-go away.....” she choked out.
She heard King Andrias sigh, sitting next to her bed.
”Now Marcy, so what if you messed up at a party, we all make mistakes, it’s not the end of the world now, is it? In fact..heh….When I was sixteen, while at my friend’s birthday celebration, I accidentally set their house on fire! Oh ho! Was that humiliating! Ha.....Ah.....Three people were roasted alive....”
He looked over, slowly and carefully pulling the covers away from her, Marcy hiding her face with her tear-soaked pillow.
”Don’t be too hard on yourself.... We all make mistakes...” he soothed, gently rubbing the top of her head with his fingertip.
Marcy sniffled, slowly looking up with shiny,wet eyes. He smiled, lifting her chin gingerly with his finger.
”Look at me...this is but a hiccup....a small hiccup in what will soon be a successful, long and well-lived life....I promise...”
Marcy sniffled, shivering a bit as she heard him say “ I promise.”
King Andrias always made promises.
Each promise he’d made Marcy thus far had yet to be fulfilled.
But...maybe he’d be right… maybe this time, he’ll be right...
King Andrias patted her head softly and then got up, leaving her alone once more. Marcy snuggled back under her sheets, letting their comforting softness and warmth envelop her.
”.....Just a hiccup...........Just a hiccup.....” She repeated slowly, repeating the words until they became a slow, soft mantra, slowly lulling her to sleep.